- Elected President of Cyprus in 2008, routing his former coalition partner Tassos Papadopoulos, on a pledge to be more pro-active in reunification talks.

- Christofias heads AKEL, the island's powerful Communist party. He is the only communist EU head of state and his party recently backed rejection of the EU reform treaty.

- His family are refugees from the 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. His mother still lives in refugee housing.

- Soviet-educated on a scholarship, with a doctorate in history, he speaks Russian and has close ties with the Kremlin.

- Born August 29 1946, he later underwent a life-saving kidney transplant with his sister as donor. He is married and has three children.

TALAT:

- President of the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey, he was elected for a five-year term in April 2005 and previously held post of prime minister.

- He was the head of the leftist Republican Turkish Party.

- Talat actively supported the endorsement of a United Nations reunification blueprint for Cyprus in 2004. The plan won 65 percent approval among Turkish Cypriots, but 75 percent rejection from Greek Cypriots.

- He trained as an electrical engineer at Middle East Technical University in Ankara.

- Born July 6, 1952, he is a keen gardener. He is married and has two children.